The girlfriend of murdered Hepworth backpacker Peter Falconio admitted sending and receiving emails from a man named Nick.

And the court in Darwin, Australia, was told today there was a secret email account with the man given the pseudonym Steph.

The court - a committal hearing - heard that after Mr Falconio's disappearance in the Outback, police questioned Miss Lees - formerly of Almondbury - about a second email account she had and her relationship with a man identified only as Nick.

Lawyer Grant Algie, defending Bradley Murdoch - the man accused of murdering Mr Falconio and abducting Miss Lees - asked her if she was planning to meet Nick in Berlin on the way home from Australia. She replied: "I made a suggestion."

He asked if Miss Lees was worried about police knowing of a person she was communicating with via email called Steph.

The questioning continued:

Mr Algie: "Who is Steph?"

Miss Lees: "I don't know."

Mr Algie: "Is not Steph the pseudonym fox name adopted to write to you through the email by somebody called Nick?" Miss Lees: "Yes."

Mr Algie: "Who is Nick?" Miss Lees: "A friend."

Mr Algie: "A friend from Sydney with whom you had a relationship?"

Miss Lees was barely able to answer "No" before the prosecutor objected.

Earlier, Mr Algie had questioned Miss Lees about her relationship with Mr Falconio, her boyfriend of six years.

She said they got on very well. She denied Mr Algie's suggestions they had a fight at a lodge in Alice Springs the night before he disappeared

Under cross-examination Miss Lees also revealed she had been paid £50,000 for an exclusive interview with Granada TV about her ordeal.

Prosecutor Rex Wild objected to the questioning, but Mr Algie said it was relevant "because motive to perpetuate this story is relevant".

But Miss Lees said she no longer had an exclusive relationship with Granada and said she had given no interviews with the media since Murdoch's arrest.